Tag Archive: types of government

I have met some social liberals who were not statists. They called themselves Libertarians and/or peaceful anarchists. I will address these two groups in another post. I also know some social liberals who call themselves fiscal conservatives, but they are kidding themselves. When push came to shove, their statism showed right through. But, what IS a statist?

A statist is a proponent/advocate of statism which is defined as: a concentration of economic controls and planning in the hands of a highly centralized government often extending to government ownership of industry. Basically, anyone who advocates that the government “do something,” is a statist. Anyone who looks to government to solve problems is a statist. Policies of statists create “big government.”

Sadly, many statists don’t even know they are statists. They’ll say things like, “Well, I don’t believe we need more government interference, but they need to make sure businesses can’t refuse service to anyone.” Yep. That’s a quote from a thread on my Facebook page. This person self-identified as a Christian conservative who was for small government. This type of disconnection from reality is NOT uncommon…look at John McCain. Need I say more?

But, here’s where it gets really tricky. I have seen many an argument about “Republican” and “Democrats,” when really the discussion should have been about statists in both parties. One party wanted one kind of big government and the other party a different kind of big government. In the end, there is no difference when dealing with statists. Some want total government quickly and some are content to get there more slowly. The goal is the same.

It’s not the direct fault of most people that they have no clue where the Constitution lies on the continuum and what it means to be a statist.

Most of us were told, in school, that Communism and Socialism are on the “left” and Fascism is on the “right.” We all believed this, right? I mean, sure, that makes sense…until you ask where the Constitution and anarchists fit in this supposed spectrum. What we have is a bunch of names for different types of total government. So, where do the Constitution, Libertarianism, and Anarchy fit?

The graph that accurately shows the spectrum looks like this (from The 5,000 Year Leap):

Truly, government equals coercion. You don’t pay taxes because you want to. You pay them because, if you don’t, they’ll fine you, or eventually throw you in jail. You don’t get a driver’s license because it’s a wise thing to do. You get it because driving without one will be made unpleasant by the state government, if you get caught. Coercion. Sometimes it’s necessary to have coercion (laws against murder, etc.), but we have to know that it is, always, coercion.

So, we see that the argument we have about “right” and “left” in this country – mostly by elected officials (think Lindsey Graham and Nancy Pelosi) – is really about how much total government we want. Pelosi wants massive government, and Graham wants slightly less massive government. The REAL place we were meant to be was even further into the space of where a republic lives…where the rule of law is paramount.

The Rule of Law is where all laws apply equally to every single person in this nation, where everyone gets equal protection under the law, where every single individual has rights that are given to us by our “Creator.” I’m not making this up, either! This is the basis for our entire country. These rights cannot legally be infringed upon by anyone. They are not given by men, because, if so, they could be legally taken away by men. Our founders and framers set up a republic for us.

First, right now, click on the link at the right and buy my book. It’s a book that’s great for kids and adults alike. It’s funny history with cartoons…what’s not to like?

Then, watch this video. This video (worth EVERY SECOND it takes to watch) will explain why we are a republic, and what the consequences of being anything else are:

Now, after watching this, and reading this post, you’ll know what I mean when I reference “statists.” Liberals, Progressives, Socialists, Communists, and Fascists ALL fall under the title of statist.